After school meal ideas (reception)

[WildebeestH]

My DS has just started reception so I'm just about to enter the world of after school meals. Can anyone point me in the right direction of some tasty ideas? I'm particularly unsure what to do on the two days he'll be at the after school club. We won't be home till about 6.15 and I suspect he'll want to go pretty much straight to bed. They have a snack there (things like crumpets or chicken soup and warm roll, plus fruit) and he'll be having school lunches. Would you want to try and give him a proper tea when he got home or just stick to an extra (healthy) snack and early bed? I also have a hungry 18 month old DD who'll eat pretty much anything.

I have been wondering about when to feed DS too. He was previously at nursery and had a light tea there about 3.30 and then had a snack with us at about 6 but not sure what to do now he is at school. At the moment we are planning on a snack after school with cm then dinner with us, but km not sure if that will be too late. What do other working parents do?

I would give him something small like beans/ egg on toast and fruit.

Both mine have school dinners and come out of school at 3.15 ready to eat my arm off! I do a packed lunch tea for them after school then they have toast/yoghurt/fruit before bed at about 6.30.

DS still loves 'mix up' as a quick snack/tea.

Basically a plate of nibbles - any combination of...

cubes of cheese, cherry tomatoes, pieces of ham/chicken/fish, grapes, strawberries, bread sticks, humous/dip, carrot sticks, cold new potatoes, apple slices, raisins, small crackers with cheese spread, nuts, few crisps, cucumber, leftover pasta, prawns, olives...

Quick and easy using whatever is in the fridge and easy to eat even when shattered!

Pitta pizzas popular with my three. Pitta bread spread with passata and a sprinkling of grated cheese then popped under grill.

Pitta pizza is very popular here too! Today was his first full day. He came out starving and gobbled the two snacks I'd taken for him (a one slice of bread sandwich and a clementine) and then he had baked potato, beans, cheese, peppers and tomatoes for tea. I like the idea of 'mix up' particularly on the days when he's at the after school club.

I send them to school dinners, then at home they get a quick but usually hot tea - beans on toast, scrambled egg sandwiches, fish fingers with noodles and veg (odd combo but quick and popular), soup, fresh filled pasta or normal pasta, veg &ham/salami with philly/pesto for sauce. Or sometimes just sandwiches.

Mine is always starving when she gets home. She had pitta, homous and dips and sausages at a friends for 'tea' today, then went to a club, and when I picked her up assuming she was fed she was horrified I thought it was straight to bed because as far as she was concerned, she hadn't had dinner. She also was doing after school club last year, and although they 'fed' them, as far as she was concerned it was a snack and she always needed more when she got home. I think it partly depends on your child's appetite as to what to do after school.

DD has a light tea like an omelette, wrap, beans etc. That's the kind of thing she had at nursery for tea at 4 ish

We love pitta pizzas!
Fishfingers and Heinz spaghetti/ alphabetti - pop in pan straight from tin
Beans on toast
Scrambled egg on toast
Cheese on toast
Paninis are proving very popular - half each and pop in grill with ham and cheese - as are toasties